The present invention relates to a laser diode array having a plurality of individual laser diode strips disposed substantially in one plane in a semiconductor body and substantially parallel to one another. The strips have a respective optical resonator associated therewith such that a prescribed emission direction of an intended laser radiation emission parallel to a direction of the laser diode strips occurs.
It is known to provide a plurality of strip-shaped laser diodes arranged in side-by-side fashion in a semiconductor body. A respective position of the individual laser diode strips in the semiconductor body is definable by a variety of techniques. For example, they may be defined by parallel oxide strips (oxide strip laser), by parallel waveguide strips, by parallel high-resistant strip zones, and the like. Such high-resistant strip zones are disclosed relative to a semiconductor diode body containing a plurality of laser diode strips in German Letters Pat. No. 14 39 316, incorporated herein by reference, whereby a division into laser diode strips was proposed therein for improved cooling.
In addition to strip diode lasers, laser diodes having a planar pn-junction in a semiconductor body are also known.
It is known from German AS No. 11 56 506, incorporated herein by reference, that optical coupling can occur between neighboring laser-active regions in a semiconductor body with the result that a correlation between the laser radiations generated in two such laser-active zones occurs. This is based on an overlap of portions of the respective active regions of the corresponding laser-active zones, and even across regions of the semiconductor body in which the conditions for the appearance of stimulated emission or the presence of a reoccupation is not established, for example because the threshold current for the stimulated emission is not reached there.